Trying to lose weight but I don't know where to start. It seems impossible
 

Hey I'm a 25 year old male. I'm about 5' 5" and 220 lbs so from what I understand I'm about 60 lbs overweight? I could be wrong. I don't feel like I'm eating alot but I suppose I do eat the wrong things. I joined this forum last week and it's helped a bit and from just reading reading online but I just feel like my body's different, my friends eat the same way and they aren't overweight and like I said I never eat too much or anything. Can someone please guide me on the best way to start? I'm ready to start taking it seriously

I think the most important first step is to figure exactly what you ARE eating. Write down (or sign up for a food tracking site or app) every single bite that goes in your mouth for a few weeks. That means you have to actually measure the food, so you learn what a portion size really looks like, because most people underestimate what they eat, usually by 30% or more. You don't necessarily have to track forever, but you DO need to be honest and accurate for a while so you get a feel for what is happening. And that means if you eat 2 M&Ms, you log those. If you take a bite off someone else's plate, you log that. EVERY BITE! It also includes condiments and dressings. And drinks, whether it be alcohol, soda, juice, whatever.

Most people find, when doing this, that they are actually eating a lot more than they think. Either they are eating a lot larger portions than they should be, or they are mindlessly snacking through the day and evening.

Once you know what you are consuming, you can look to make changes. Personally, I suggest making small changes gradually that you can stick with long term. Like drinking 2 less sodas a week. Or eating smaller portions. Try mixing in one vegetable or fruit into each meal, or if that is too much, then start with 2 meals a week. Whatever baby steps you can DO and STICK WITH until they become habit. Once you are used to that change, mix in a new improvement. For me, the biggest changes were cutting back on breads and milk and sugar. I didn't cut anything completely out, but I went from 2 loaves of bread a week to only a few slices a week and regular "wheat" bread to whole wheat. I went from 3 gallons of milk a week to less than 1, and I went from lots and lots of sugar every day to just a bit of chocolate most days.

My philosophy is to always do a little better this week than I did last week, even if it is just 1% better in 1 way. Over time, that adds up to big sustainable changes.

By doing it this way, I've lost 70 pounds in 11 months and never really been overly hungry (I'm hungry at mealtimes, but I never feel starving or deprived). Also, because the changes were gradual, I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I could eat this way forever. I still sometimes eat fast food, cake, cookies, etc, I just eat them less and make healthier fast food choices and use moderation on the rest.

Anyway, that is one option. But the biggest thing I've learned in this process is that what works perfectly for one person won't work at all for someone else. Some people aren't good at moderation, they do better with eliminating food groups entirely. If you are that type, you might do better with a Keto or Vegetarian way of eating.

Whatever you do, try to view it as a lifestyle change, rather than a diet. If you "go on a diet", you will eventually "finish" the diet, start eating poorly again and put all the weight back on, plus more. Instead, try to view it as a process of changing your way of eating for the long term.

Yea I guess I do eat more than I probably realize I'm saying that cause I saw a picture online saying a half a mcdonalds hamburger was like 200 calories! And I dont really count the alcohol or soda like I should. I think sometimes we "forget" to count liquid calories :/ and I was seeing like a cup of spaghetti(which) I love was high in calories.
I don't think I really realized!
I'm looking into the keto diet a little and the red tea diet.
I don't know really for sure yet. I also saw something on fasting to lose weight but Idk.
Won't you lose weight JUST by counting calories? Do the diets like that just help speed up your weight loss? It's kind of confusing.
Btw congrats on the weight loss! Thats amazing for real!

Do you know of any diets that maybe the best way to go?

So I actually did right yesterday!!!!
I know it's just a small step but I'm still proud of myself!
I counted every calorie I ate and to make it easy, I made sure to just stick with water and green tea.
I had a boiled egg and toast for breakfast(150 calories) and a lean cusine meal for lunch (300 calories)
I ate 2 cups of spaghetti but it was whole wheat(600 calories) :) :) :) haha
So 1,050 calories!
Does that sound about right? And yes I had no idea the calories I was taking in! If I didnt replace the sodas with green tea and water my calories would've been on up there!
But hopefully I did pretty decent! I would love feedback and support cause I ain't gonna lie it wasnt easy lol

There are a number of good diets but I agree with Lacerta first see where you are and there are plenty of free apps like My Fitness Pal and Cronometer that make logging easy and help you come up with values. Then do a little research on the different approaches. I gather there are many ways to get there but I think the BEST approach is one you can see yourself following as a lifestyle change for the rest of your life. Don't worry about fast. Worry about steady!

Thank you so much for the app info! I feel silly lol I was just using pen and paper but I like the idea of an app alot better.
I think I'm gonna try the red tea diet I was reading about it in this article https://fitnessinc.home.blog/2019/02...e-lose-weight/
And it seems like a good fit. Cause from what understand I would be counting calories I think still but I would just drank that detox too and lose weight a little faster.
But I do know what you mean about focus more on steady. I just figure its just a drink so it couldn't hurt lol. Especially if I would be using it to replace sodas. cause that is a big part of my problem I'm starting to realize. Ive heard alot about keto too but I'm not sure. And alot of people are talking about fasting but that doesn't seem healthy plus I want to eat lol.
But I'm downloading those apps now! Thank you so much again for the info!

The Mayo Clinic has a good book out about nutrition and diet, and there is a cookbook to match it. Amazon has the books as do other outlets.

I believe that as a 25 year old male that you should be eating between 2000 and 2500 calories a day (recommended). 1050 is too little on average. It does naturally depend on the person but you want to make sure you are eating enough and getting the nutrition you need. That can be hard to learn at first. I still have trouble planning meals and making sure I have nutrition and proper serving size.

One thing that's kind of fun is to watch Secret Eaters, a UK reality show from a few years ago. There are some episodes on YouTube. Yes, it's a reality show and rather silly, but the series helps people realize just how much they are eating and drinking and explains calories in a no nonsense kind of way. Many of the people in the series couldn't understand why they were big and had no idea that their portions were out of control. Most of us who have been dieting for years look at what they are eating and say, "Oh yeah - that's way too much," but if you don't have a guide it's easy to overeat.

1050 is not enough calories. If you eat that few every day, you won't get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. For the average male 1500 is considered a minimum daily average.

Personally, I'm not a fan of fad diets like the Keto diet. I believe in eating all the food groups, just in moderation. Try to make healthy choices at least 95% of the time and keep the indulgences to rare occasions, but if they happen, don't feel guilty. Just count that as the 5% and go back to healthy choices again.

You will lose weight by eating in a calorie deficit, regardless of whether you eat all McDonalds or if you eat all homecooked healthy meals, like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean meats. However, you will be fuller and healthier on the better food. Fast food will use up all your calories for the day very quickly, and leave you still hungry and without enough nutrients.

And I agree Old Biddy that Secret Eaters show it fascinating. I've watched a bunch on Youtube.

I found, on the plan I was following (and still am though in maintenance now) I wound up eating between 1000 and 1200 calories as a post menopausal woman (our metabolisms slow down as we age); the plan for men has more food. . Now in maintenance it is closer to 1600 calories. That said, I found I had to really be terribly careful with food selection to ensure adequate nutrition (I use the cronometer app as it captures vitamins and other micronutrients) and still wound up supplementing with a few vitamins.

I would not consider my approach a fad because it basically aims at controlling eating behaviors and minimizing all foods that cause blood sugar spikes which greatly helps in reducing cravings and is intended to be a lifestyle change. And you can do it with no more expense than buying the book (though you can spend a lot on boot camps and classes should you desire). Same thing with plans like weight watchers, calorie counting, etc. The only thing I will say about the fitness trackers is they greatly overestimate the calorie burn due to exercise so don't rely on eating those exercise calories!

As to the tea. I do sometimes drink a Chai Roobios tea from Yogi teas but just for flavor and it is not promoted for weight loss. Sounds like these folks are selling a program and I would not trust hypnosis from someone who has a vested interest in your buying their products.
https://yogiproducts.com/teas/herbal-teas/chai-rooibos/

It said on MyFitnessPal I should eat about 1,500 calories but I did put I wanted to lose two lbs a day and they recommended 1 lb a day. Is that just starting out? And I have been feeling a little more depressed feeling than usual since starting this diet. Thanks on the advice on the cookbooks I'll check them out cause I do like to cook quite a bit and I'll check it out on youtube for sure!

Yea lol that's EXACTLY how many calories they said I needed on MyFitnessPal. I completely agree like I said I've been a bit more on the depressed side since I've started and I think that's what it is. I guess I went on the more extreme side with the calories and my body's notuse to that

I haven't downloaded cronometer yet but I did download MyFitnessPal and I like it alot. They are making you pay now :/ but I got the free trial and I like it enough to pay so I dont mind.
Yea I agree with you about the balanced diet and I haven't been balanced enough but I'm already seeing the negative results of that.
I did order the red tea detox but it centers around a balanced diet plus the article had a discounted bonus link so I only paid $17 and they say you can get a refund if your not happy after two months so ill try it.
I want to thank you again for the app suggestions! I really like MyFitnessPal and I need to check the other one out soon

I don't believe that anyone should try to lose either two pounds a day or one pound a day. That's just too fast, in my opinion.

In women most plans indicate a one to two pound weight loss per week, depending on what you are eating and how you are exercising. It's important to start and continue something that is realistic and that will work for you long term. We all want to lose weight quickly (don't I know it :)) but you want to make sure you are getting all your nutrients and not cutting out important parts of a good diet.

One of my friends, a woman who was about 50 at the time, went a bit bonkers in an attempt to lose weight quickly and went on a super-limited diet. She ended up in the hospital with gall stones.

Is there a nutrition centre, or a physician that could assist you with some of your questions?

Old Biddy you raise a great point! A lot of people develop gallstones with rapid weight loss! IT is very very very important to get adequate fiber and water during weight loss .......... I lost 130lbs on average 2lbs a week.........and had no issues but I am also eating a lot of veggies and my average fiber intake is about 40 grams a day

It sure made me think about what I was doing when that happened to her.

I actually didn't know that but I do want to be healthier and not just lose weight.
I figured 1,500 calories but GOOD ones.
The red tea detox kit I ordered actually comes with a nutrition guide and a workout plan. It isn't focused soley on the red tea.
Until then I've just been sticking with turning everything white I used to eat into wheat.
Wheat pasta and bread and brown rice. I've been drinking green tea and water instead of sodas.
I DO NOT want gallstones, I didnt even realize that was possible!
I am eating a lot better than when I first posted on this forum though :)

I need to work on getting more veggies in my diet.
That is defintely something I need to work on

You're a good sport with all of our advice and conversation, Weightlosshopeful. :)

You guys give good advice and I can tell you want to help! :)

That all sounds like excellent advice and I never argue with success and 70 lbs in 11 months is excellent , for me personally the extreme tracking suggested takes it too far am I supposed to go buy a triple beam scale to precisely measure every last thing ? I've never tried tracking intake but it has been suggested to me by my nephroligist. If I did do it I'd settle on estimating some things because I have no way to precisely measure some things short of buying a triple beam scale. I could do the tracking thing I'm good at record keeping, I already record my blood pressure and weight readings regularly for the doctor, I'd just have to estimate some of it if I were to try this, I am tempted to give it a go since it is my kind of thing ,a lot of items can be figured exactly. Just doing it and looking back at what you actually consumed could tell you a lot, I should do it and likely will. I know it wasn't directed at me specifically but it got me thinking

Thanks

A lot of us our on plans where we weigh our food and it becomes 2nd nature! Triple beam? You can get an accurate digital balance for under $20 that can do grams or ounces and has a tare feature. It may seem extreme to start but when it becomes a matter of habit it is not. Takes me 15 minutes a day to plan my menu. and seconds to weight as I am prepping food. Plenty of free and cheap food logging aps